After practically a decade of raving and three years working in music, I’m not precisely certain why I hadn’t been to Electrical Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas, the most important digital music pageant in america, previous to this 12 months. Possibly I all the time thought EDC Las Vegas was too massive for me. I hate crowds. Maybe I assumed it was too industrial, as somebody who sometimes prefers artier, transformational music festivals. Although the reason being unclear, I’d simply by no means made it to “the massive pageant.”
As I lastly attended the twenty ninth version of Insomniac‘s flagship pageant final week, I approached the weekend with an open coronary heart and a curious eye, taking in each stage, mild present, and activation in vivid element to current a handful of issues that shocked me in spite of everything my music pageant expertise.
Sheer Dimension
The No. 1 factor I used to be perplexed by all weekend was the dimensions of the pageant, each in bodily measurement and inhabitants. Once I first entered the occasion, I commented to my associates, who’re long-time attendees, about how I assumed the venue regarded small.
Primarily based on my experiences attending festivals like Bonnaroo, Electrical Forest, and Sziget, these pageant websites usually really feel huge. Whereas their acreage is bigger than that of EDC, the attendance numbers are roughly half. Initially, I discovered EDC Las Vegas to really feel surprisingly small. Nevertheless, as soon as I descended the steps and entered the center of the pageant, I spotted simply how massive and complicated it really is. I found YeeDC! nestled in Downtown EDC, Reminiscence Lane shows pictures and movies from previous EDCs, and entertainers on stilts interact with attendees and improve the pageant environment.
This 12 months, EDC Las Vegas has launched a historic sixteenth stage, making it exceptional to think about how pageant organizers managed to suit every part into the speedway with out creating overcrowding. Whereas there have been some points with sound bleed and some congested areas, the general move of the pageant was fairly easy, particularly given the dimensions of the group—over 500,000 attendees over three days—and the quantity and scale of the levels positioned inside the racetrack.
EDC Las Vegas Vibes
With so many guests all through the weekend, it’s exhausting to consider there weren’t extra congestion issues and impolite friends shoving to get by. Typically talking, crowds had been well mannered; they stated excuse me, and nobody was overly rushed to get anyplace. Sure folks might have indulged above their means. Nevertheless, these folks virtually all the time had a good friend group behind them, taking care of them, saying excuse me and sorry to folks they might have bothered of their paths.
Admittedly, EDC’s standing as the most important digital pageant and one of many dearer raves in america led me to prejudge the individuals who attend. Earlier than the pageant, I had simply assumed that wealthy, egotistical, clout-chasing ravers selected EDC Las Vegas as their mecca of dance music festivals, however I used to be refreshingly unsuitable.
Though the pageant is huge, Insomniac maintains the ethos of being for the folks, and I underestimated what number of pure-of-heart ravers would attend the occasion. With OG ravers fueling the power, PLURR vibes had been at their peak. Individuals had been handing out trinkets, hanging up conversations with neighbors, hugging strangers goodbye earlier than scurrying off to the following set, and easily mentioning the vibes of your complete pageant. It was a restorative reminder of what rave tradition needs to be.
Manufacturing
There are some methods during which EDC Las Vegas knocks manufacturing out of the ballpark, and a few issues the pageant leaves to be desired. Levels at EDC are among the most famed on this planet—many dance music fanatics dream of seeing the Kinetic Subject stage at some point. The eye to element that crews put into that stage, which adjustments yearly with the pageant’s theme, and its grandiose measurement, are fairly gorgeous. Equally, the fireworks and drone exhibits every night time mild up the sky in unimaginable methods. Many individuals on the fest had been seen ditching large performances to watch the fireworks from the speedway bleachers, broadly considered one of the best spot in the home to take all of it in.
Nevertheless, I used to be shocked by the simplicity of the opposite levels. The remainder of the bunch had been as much as par with different U.S. festivals, however nothing extraordinary in my expertise, which was a shock, understanding EDC Las Vegas’s popularity within the digital scene. A side that I discovered particularly disappointing was the dearth of displays on the levels. Though the pageant wasn’t overcrowded, it’s not unusual to be stationed behind tens of 1000’s of individuals at a set except you’re the devoted few who enter early and journey the rail your complete night time.
For hard-working attendees who pay a minimal of $450 for a normal admission ticket and upwards of $2,000 for elevated experiences, it feels thoughtless to not present screens and displays to allow them to see their favourite artists on stage with out snagging front-row spots.
Decorations and lights had been plentiful at EDC, offering attendees with an otherworldly twist on actuality. Visuals and lasers had been up there with one of the best of U.S. music festivals. For my part, solely Excision‘s uncooked laser shows and visual-heavy exhibits, like Thunderdome and Misplaced Lands, beat out EDC’s explosive visible manufacturing.
Many levels appeared quiet, presumably to scale back sound bleed and to adjust to metropolis ordinances. Sound ranges different wildly from stage to stage. The bass from Neon Backyard, the underground techno stage, vibrated eardrums, whereas the sound at Cosmic Meadow, the second-largest stage, was comparatively low all through the weekend. Bass energy was capped for artists corresponding to NGHTMRE, who supposedly blew out the audio system at Cosmic Meadow throughout his Friday night time closing set.
Set Instances
I’m the “sort B” pageant good friend who sees a lineup, buys the ticket, forgets in regards to the pageant till the weekend of, and exhibits up with out planning a single factor. So, think about my shock when, on Thursday night time, I’m trying on the day by day lineups for the weekend forward and I see that units begin at 7 PM PT and go till 5:30 AM. No different pageant I’ve been to holds official units that late into the night time. This doesn’t even embody the RV renegades and camp after-parties that reach nicely into the late morning.
Happily, I used to be capable of keep in an RV for the weekend. Though the shift pods that may be rented for the weekend have air con, rumors spreading round camp had been that they will get fairly toasty. Waking up within the Nevada warmth within the morning, mixed with daytime camp festivities, like pool events and DJ units, makes for very lengthy days following the early morning pageant closures.
A nice shock within the campgrounds was free 24/7 showers and flushable bogs. After partying from sunset to sunup, having the choice to bathe, wash your face, and brush your tooth with working water at 6 AM—for those who’re not lifeless drained—is a straightforward however game-changing luxurious.
All photos courtesy: Insomniac Occasions. Featured picture credit score: Skyler Greene.
